46 



of Natural 



they throw and roll down stones, to resent 

 the injury. 



The COMMON BABOON. (Cynocephalus 

 papio.) This species is a native of the coast 

 of Guinea, and is the one most commonly 

 exhibited by itinerant showmen. Its appear- 

 ance is at once grotesque and formidable ; 

 its nervous limbs and compressed form indi- 

 cate great force and agility ; the anterior 

 parts especially being extremely strong and 

 muscular. It is of a uniform yellowish- 

 brown colour, with a shade of light red upon 

 the head, shoulders, and extremities ; the 

 face, ears, and hands naked, and entirely 

 black. The cheeks are considerably swollen 

 below the eyes ; after which the face con- 

 tracts sudde'nly, which gives the nose the 

 appearance of having been broken by a vio- 

 lent blow. It is furnished with whiskers, 

 which have a backward direction, but do not 

 conceal the ears. While young, this Baboon 

 is gentle and familiar ; but as it approaches 

 adult age, it displays all the repulsive man- 

 ner, the ferocity and intractability common 

 to the rest of its kind. 



The MANDRILL, or VARIEGATED 

 BABOON. ^Cij,wcepJialus maimon.) The 

 Mandrill is the most remarkable of the 

 whole genus for brilliancy and variety of 

 colour, while for size it is unequalled by any 

 other Baboon, its height when standing up- 

 right being upwards of five feet. The limbs 



MANDRILL. (OYNOCEPHALUS MAIMON.) 



are large and muscular, the body thick and 

 robust ; the head large, face long, scarcely 

 any forehead, and the snout ending abruptly; 

 the eyes small and deeply sunk in the head; 

 the cheek-bones enormously swollen, and 

 marked with several deep furrows of violet- 

 blue, purple, and scarlet ; and the muzzle 

 and lips large and protuberant. The hair 

 of the forehead and temples rises, in a re- 

 markable manner, into a pointed form, 

 which gives the head a triangular appear- 

 ance ; and a small pointed orange-yellow 

 beard adorns the chin. Round the back of 

 the neck the hair is long, and inclines for- 

 wards, somewhat in the manner of a wreath. 

 On the loins the skin is almost bare and of a 

 violet-blue colour, gradually altering into a 

 bright blood-red, which is more conspicuous 

 on the hinder parts, where it surrounds the 

 tail, which is very short, and generally car- 

 ried erect. In most of its habits the Mandrill 

 resembles the other Baboons, especially in 

 its growing more morose as it advances in 

 age, and in becoming offensively libidinous. 

 In their wild state they generally march in 



large bands, and are so formidable that not 

 only are the inhabitants afraid to meet them 

 in the woods, unless they are in considerable 

 companies and well armed, but the beasts 

 of the forest, including even the elephant, 

 quit their respective haunts at the approach 

 of the powerful and savage animals whose 

 habits we have endeavoured to describe. 

 To this truly formidable species belonged 

 " Happy Jerry," long kept in the flue me- 

 nagerie of Mr. Cross. He was trained to 

 smoke a pipe, and seemed to relish a pot of 

 porter : but he was fierce to most persons 

 who approached him, unless they were his 

 keepers. His stufled skin and skull may 

 now be seen in the magnificent collection of 

 the British Museum. 



There are several other species which our 

 limits forbid us to do more than merely men- 

 tion ; as, the DRILL, the WOOD-BABOON, the 

 PIGTAIL, the CRESTED, the YELLOW, the 

 CINEREOUS, and others. 



BABYROUSSA. (Sits Babirussa.') This 

 animal is nearly of the size of a common 

 Hog, and has generally been referred to the 

 Hog genus, though in many respects it is 

 essentially different ; its form being longer, 

 its limbs more slender, and, instead of bristles, 

 being covered with fine, short, and somewhat 

 woolly hair, of a dark brown colour, inter- 

 spersed with a few bristles on the upper and 

 hinder part of the back. It is still further 

 distinguished by the very extraordinary po- 

 sition and form of its enormous upper tusks, 

 which, instead of being situated internally, 

 on the edge of the jaw, as in other animals, 

 are placed externally, perforating the upper 

 lip, and turning upwards toward the fore- 

 head, like the horns of the Ruminantia : the 

 tusks of the lower jaw arc also very long, 

 sharp, and curved ; but not of equal magni- 

 tude with those of the upper. The tusks are 

 of a very fine ivory, but neither so hard nor 

 so durable as that of the elephant : the eyes 

 are small ; the ears erect and pointed ; the 

 tail rather long, slender, and tufted at the 

 end with long hairs. 



B&BTBOTJSSA. (SOS BABIRU88A.) 



The Babyroussa is a gregarious animal, 

 inhabiting the woods of Java, Amboyna, the 

 Celebes, and other Indian islands, where 

 large herds are met with. Their food con- 

 sists chiefly of vegetables, and the leaves of 

 trees. When sleeping or resting themselves 

 in a standing posture, they are said often to 

 hook or support themselves by placing the 



